On February 6, the Joint Registrar had slapped costs of s 10,000 and Rs 30,000 on Chief Minister Kejriwal and Azad respectively for delayed response to the defamation suit filed by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 on expelled BJP MP Kirti Azad for failing to respond to the documents filed by the DDCA in its defamation suit against former cricketer and Arvind Kejriwal seeking Rs two-and-half crore damages from each of them. Joint Registrar Rajrani imposed the fine on the former cricketer-turned-politician while giving him the last opportunity to file the affidavit and fixed the matter for hearing on October 25.

On February 6, the Joint Registrar had slapped costs of s 10,000 and Rs 30,000 on Chief Minister Kejriwal and Azad respectively for delayed response to the defamation suit filed by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Kejriwal and Azad are facing defamation suit filed by DDCA for alleged defamatory criticism of the functioning and finances of the cricketing body.

DDCA had earlier alleged that Kejriwal “with prior motive, indulged in certain false, shocking, scandalous, defamatory, baseless, slanderous, malicious, disgraceful and outrageous statements which are defamatory against them”. DDCA had also said that the statements against the cricketing body were made to create a serious dent on its image and a “notion of public outcry”.

It has claimed that the allegations regarding financial irregularities and corruption in selection at the junior level were “maligning the image” of DDCA.